


Just an Act

by bravepolicej_deckerd2



Series: Hetalia [3]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2019-08-25 19:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16666447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bravepolicej_deckerd2/pseuds/bravepolicej_deckerd2
Summary: Berwald Oxenstierna moved from Sweden at the beginning of High School and Timo Väinämöinen from Finland with Middle School. Not much is known about the Swede, other than he has a younger brother named Beck. Somehow the Finn and the Swede always manage to find each other in at least one class together. Will they fall in love by the end of their final year of High School?





	1. New Beginnings

_The green eyed redhead known as Kent Oxenstierna smiled at the two boys that stood next to him. The taller of the two is a blond teen with aqua eyes, glasses, and a neutral expression. His name is Berwald and he's 14 years old. Holding the teen's hand is an 11 year old with orange hair, red eyes, glasses, and a smile that could brighten anyone's day. His name is Beck and he looks up to his brother more than anything. They'd recently moved to America from Sweden._

_"Mamma said she'd be here when she can," Kent informed his two sons. Berwald only nodded while Beck replied with, "Yes, pappa." "Shall we put what we have in our new house?" Kent asked. This earned two nods from the two brothers. Both boys carried in their sleeping bags whilst holding hands. A smile crossed Kent's face at seeing the brotherly love and followed them in, carrying in a box. Berwald guided Beck upstairs to find there's two bedrooms, a bathroom, and an extra room. "You take one while I take the other?" Beck asked, red eyes looking up at Berwald. "Ja," Berwald replied. Beck smiled again and ran off to one of the bedrooms. Guess this means that the blond is getting the other._

_Walking into the room, Berwald set his Swedish flag sleeping bag on the ground and unraveled it, revealing a lion pillow pet and a picture of him when he was three and holding Beck some point after he was born. That was when neither of them needed glasses. It'd even been framed. Picking up the picture, Berwald looked it over before another figure joined him. Out of the corner of his eye, the blond could see messy orange hair, giving away the fact that it's Beck. His is the only hair he could see without having to look up._

_"What's that?" Beck asked as he latched onto Berwald's arm. Adjusting the angle of the picture, Berwald showed it to his younger brother. Red eyes look it over as his grip on Berwald's arm tightened. "That's me when I was a baby?" Beck asked. "Mmn," Berwald said. "Were you holding me?" "Mmn."_

It's been a couple months since the move and Berwald was still learning English, alongside Beck. They knew enough to hold a simple conversation with someone and understand what was being said. They could also write in said language. Today's the first day of school and Berwald was nervous, though it didn't show on his face. Beck had given the blond a hug before Berwald left for school. Looking at his schedule, Berwald looked around for the right classroom. He didn't seem to notice when someone was nearby until he practically bumped into them.

"Watch where you're going, fresh meat," the other said. There was an accent to that voice that he couldn't quite place. Aqua eyes looked up to see purple eyes glaring at him. They were accompanied by pale yellow hair that didn't want to seem to stay down, whiskers running along his chin, and a scar running diagonal across their left cheek. Berwald mumbled a quick sorry in Swedish before walking away from the grumpy male. "Mikkel, don't be mean," another accented voice said, this one being higher pitched. Footsteps were heard going after the Swede.

"Sorry about my twin, he's not exactly the social kind," the voice told the Swede as the other fell into step next to him. Berwald said nothing. "Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you around before." At that, Berwald nodded. "Moved here couple months ago from Sweden," Berwald mumbled. There was a moment of silence. "You're from Sweden? Mikkel and I are from Denmark," the stranger informed. Oh, so ****that's**** where the accent's from. Denmark. Berwald nodded, then looked at the stranger. Huh, he looks just like Mikkel, only his eyes are blue and his hair shines as bright as the sun. Never mind the fact that there's no facial hair or scar. Must be the twin thing that he mentioned.

The Dane seemed to realize something for he said, "Oh yeah! My name's Matthias! Mikkel and I are in 10th grade. What about you?" Berwald showed his schedule and Matthias took it, looking it over. "Berwald Oxenstierna... 9th grade... Ooo! You have English support first hour! I know where that is! It's right next to my math class! I can show you if you want." Berwald hummed lightly and nodded, following Matthias to his first hour class.

When there, it was noted that there was a couple female teachers standing outside the rooms and talking. They took notice of the duo and smiled at the Dane. "Hello Matthias," one greeted. "Hej, mor," Matthias replied, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Who's this?" The other asked as she looked over Berwald. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of the Swede's face. Another joined it when another set of eyes looked at him. Wow, ok, put him on the spot like that. Great. Just what he needed. Seeing how tense Berwald was, Matthias answered for him. "This is Berwald Oxenstierna. He moved here from Sweden a couple months ago!" " ** _ **Another**_** Nordic kid? We already have a handful of them as it is. Why do we need another?" Asked the one who put the Swede on the spot.

Aqua eyes glare at the American woman before he showed a picture of him and his brother on his phone. Matthias immediately looked at it and started going on about him, asking questions like how old he was and all that. Some of the questions were answered in Swedish (Berwald found it surprising that Matthias and the one he called mor understood him when he spoke it), others in what he knew of English. Turns out Beck's going to be coming to this school in three years. Matthias will have graduated by then. The interrogation ended when the 2 minute bell rang.

"Better get to class, you two," Matthias's mor said. Matthias whined, but obeyed. Didn't take long for Mikkel to be seen speed walking into the class Matthias had walked into, almost bumping into Berwald. "Mikkel!" The Danish female warned before directing her attention back to Berwald. "Sorry. What's your first class?" Berwald had noticed the sign that said 'English support' right underneath the room number and pointed to it. She looked at the sign, then at the fourteen year old. "Oh, so you're in my class. I'm Mrs. Winther, Matthias and Mikkel's mother," she said with a smile. That... would explain the kiss Matthias gave her. "Come on in," she said and led him into the classroom. Naturally, he followed her. It would seem the seats in the room are nearly full, as there's a few open ones left. Berwald ended up sitting next to someone with purple eyes and blond hair that has a defiant curl on the left side. There's also a cross pin in his hair, same side as the curl. Purple eyes glance at the Swede before looking back at the book he's holding.

"Hei." Aqua eyes look at the smaller male. "Hej," he replied. "Lukas Bakke," the smaller male said without looking up. "Berwald Oxenstierna," The Swede responded. And that was that, the two didn't say anything else after that. Though, Berwald did notice the flag design on the guy's notebook. Norwegian, of course. He was probably in the same situation Berwald's in, where he needs help in learning how to speak English.

-3 years prior-

_Timo Väinämöinen. The new kid on the block that moved from the Nordic country Finland. Along with him came his parents, Kaarina and Niko, and his twin sister, Inka. After figuring out which room upstairs went to which twin, both helped their parents carry in what they could. Didn't want the two soon-to-be middle schoolers to harm themselves. Then again, didn't want Kaarina overworking herself either, what with her being 8 months pregnant with her second set of twins. This left Niko carrying the more heavy stuff while the other three carried lighter things. Once it was all done, Timo joined his father in the kitchen._

_"Moikka, Timo," Niko said and smiled at his son. "Moikka, isä," Timo replied. "Can I help you with dinner?" The violet eyed boy asked, a bright smile on his face. Niko smiled more and ruffled the boy's hair. "Of course you can." "Yay!" Timo exclaimed and hugged Niko's waist. A chuckle escaped Niko and he hugged his son._

_Inka smiled as she placed her hands on Kaarina's extended belly. She couldn't wait to be a big sister! Kaarina smiled at seeing her daughter's smile. Both her and Timo were pretty excited to find out that there were going to be two new additions to the family. Already, Kaarina could tell they were going to be the best older siblings for the two new twins. Though, the same could be said about how they were around each other._

_"Excited for the new twins?" Kaarina asked. Inka nodded. "Yeah, äiti!" She exclaimed. "I'm going to be the best big sister ever!" Kaarina couldn't help but laugh at that. "I'm sure you will be, sweetie."_

_That following day, both Timo and Inka were outside playing on the playground with their mother nearby, keeping watch on the two twins. Niko was doing some work at home and they didn't want to distract him. As they were playing on the swings, someone had approached them and spoke. "Woah. Are you guys twins?" He asked in English, though he had an unfamiliar accent. Timo and Inka slowed down so they could look at him. Blue eyes, wild blond hair that didn't want to stay down. Looks as though he could be maybe a year older than them. Nearby is another boy that looks just like him, only with pale yellow hair and purple eyes. Minus the difference, they were basically a spitting image of each other._

_"Are you a twin?" Timo asked. It's a good thing they learned English in elementary school. A bright smile crossed the boy's face. "Yeah!" He exclaimed. "Then there's your answer," Timo responded. "What are your names?" The boy asked. "I'm Timo, this is Inka," the Finnish boy answered, indicating the female on the swing next to him. Inka waved and smiled. "Hi!" She said. "We're from Finland. What about you?" "Matthias," the other told before pointing to the purple eyed boy. "He's my twin, Mikkel. He doesn't speak much. We're from Denmark."_

_An unexpected scream drew the kids from their conversation. Four sets of eyes look in the direction where it came from. "Äiti!" Both Finnish children exclaim, getting off the swings and running towards the older female. Matthias and Mikkel run after them. "Äiti, what's wrong?" Inka asked as she and Timo placed their hands on her arms. Kaarina looked like she was in pain. "I think your siblings are on their way," Kaarina replied, blue eyes looking at the two. Oh, Michael Fassbender. Blue eyes of Timo looked at the two Danes... one Dane. Where's Mikkel going? Not far away was a female with the same hair and eye color as Matthias that Mikkel got the attention of. He spoke to her and pointed to Kaarina._

_The woman hurried over to them, Mikkel following close behind. She pulled her phone out and dialed a number before pressing it to her ear. When purple eyes looked at Timo, the Finnish boy nodded his thanks. Mikkel nodded in return. It didn't take long for her to put her phone away when she was done. She then spoke to Kaarina. "Don't worry, an ambulance is on it's way," she told. She has the same Danish accent as Matthias. Must be his and Mikkel's mother. "Thanks," Kaarina said, in English of course._

_Minutes later, an ambulance came screeching to a halt and paramedics helped Kaarina into the back. Timo and Inka went with them. Matthias has asked if they could go with and their mom found she couldn't say no to that face, so the Danish trio got into their car and followed the ambulance. Along the way, Kaarina's phone has been passed to Timo and he was told to contact their father, which he did. He relayed what was going on to Niko, who ended up rushing to the hospital. When there, he saw them rushing her into the building on a stretcher, two near identical kids following close behind. Following them is two near identical boys and who he presumed was their mother. Niko found himself rushing alongside this unknown woman once outside his car. At the designated room, only Niko was allowed in. Timo and Inka had to wait outside with Mikkel, Matthias, and their mother. The scene might be gruesome for the two children._

_Matthias decided they should play a game while they waited. It kept them busy and helped pass the time. After all, it took 10-12 hours for both twins to be born. All four children were tired, but three forced themselves to stay awake because they wanted to see the babies. Mikkel was the only one fast asleep in his mother's lap. The doctors let the others into the room once the babies were cleaned off. Matthias, Timo, and Inka walked in first, the Dane's mother following them whilst carrying Mikkel in her arms. What they noticed first was that Kaarina was asleep. Niko was holding both babies in his arms. Timo and Inka almost immediately went to where their father was sitting, asking to look at their newborn siblings. Smiling, Niko obliged, letting Timo hold one while Inka held the other. Matthias joined the duo and looked between the newborns. Getting up, Niko went over to the other female, whom he found was named Edda Winther._

_"Thanks for helping my wife in getting here," he said softly. "Don't think I'd have gotten here in time if it weren't for you." She smiled as him. "It was no problem, really," she said. "If Mikkel here hadn't told me about it, then it wouldn't have happened in the first place." It would seem he now noticed that she's holding the sleeping boy in her arms. "Mikkel, huh? Is the other one his brother?" Niko asked. There's a nod from Edda. "Him and Matthias are twins. They also have two younger sisters that are twins, just like the situation going on with your kids. What are the newborns' names?" Blue eyes look at the children. "Timo's holding Leevi, whom was born first, and Inka's holding Maija."_

Timo and Inka are starting high school. Leevi and Maija are now three years of age and have near identical features, if not for her longer hair. Both have red eyes and blond/e hair while being around the same height. They also wore a neutral expression most of the time. Currently, both older twins are in their third hour class, whom they share with Mikkel and Matthias. The older Danish twins agreed on taking at least one class with them. Apparently this is it. Also happens to be culinary 1, a cooking class and a two hour block.

Speaking of Matthias, said Dane nudged Timo and said, "Hey, seems the States have a newbie and he goes to our school. Met him earlier." Curious violet eyes look at the Dane. Before he could say anything, the final bell rang and the teacher spoke up. "Ok class, before we begin, I just want to welcome you guys to your first year of Culinary Arts." It was then that the door burst open and someone stumbled in. Multiple sets of eyes look to see a tall blond with blue eyes and glasses adjusting the things in his arms before noticing all eyes are on him. For a moment, everything was silent. Then...

"Hej, Berwald!" Matthias exclaimed, indicating the other join him. Cautiously, the other joined the Dane and the Finn at the table. Luckily, Inka was sitting at a different table with her female friends so Berwald could sit with Timo, Matthias, and Mikkel. The teacher went on to talk for a few more minutes before handing everyone a piece of paper and allowing everyone to talk until the lunch break they got between 3rd and 4th hour. "Guess what?" Matthias asked Timo. "Hm?" "Berwald's from Sweden, so that means we've got another Nordic on our team."

About half an hour into class, Timo heard the faint sound of something growling. His eyes looked around as he tried to figure out where it came from. Wasn't until it sounded like a dying whale did he realize where it came from and what it was exactly. Berwald's stomach. Violet eyes look in time to see said Swede burying his face in the arm on his desk, his free hand on his abdomen.

"Well, for the first time in forever, it wasn't Mikkel's stomach growling in class," Matthias said. This was followed by the sound of a growling stomach. "You were saying?" Mikkel asked as he rubbed his stomach. As far as Timo knew, that's what Mikkel came to be known as, the guy with the scar whose stomach always growled in third hour. He never really spent enough time with the grumpy Dane to know what he's really like.

"So, you're name's Berwald?" Timo asked with a smile, ignoring the two Danes. Aqua eyes look at the Finn as Berwald lifted his face from his arm. Besides Matthias and his mom, everyone else usually avoided him. "Ja," Berwald replied. Matthias often used that word as a response, so Timo figured it must also be Swedish for yes. "I'm Timo," the Finn told. Who knew someone could be so scary looking. "Nice to meet you." Berwald nodded and said, "Likewise."

Half an hour later, the bell rang for the end of third period and signaled lunch for certain students. As per usual, Matthias and Mikkel sat at the same table. This time around, Timo and his sister Inka had joined them, along with Berwald. Unfortunately, Berwald had forgotten his lunch at home and doesn't really understand the ways of American school systems, which would explain why his stomach had been growling during class.

A figure came to stand next to the Swede, placing a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, Berwald found it to be Lukas. Standing next to the other was a male that looked a lot like the blond, only with orangish brown hair, glasses, and a smile on his face. Reminded him of Beck in a way, if Beck were of a different nationality and had purple eyes. Berwald nodded at the silent question and Lukas sat next to him, the newbie sitting on the other side of Lukas.

"Who's this?" Matthias asked when he saw the duo. Two sets of purple eyes look at the Dane. "Lukas Bakke," the blond said before indicating the guy sitting next to him. "Twin. Eirik." If it wasn't obvious they were still new here, it was now. "So it would seem all but one here is a twin," Mikkel said before biting into his smørrebrød. Lukas looked around in question before landing on Berwald. He's the only one here without some sort of lookalike. "Where are you from?" Matthias asked. "Norge," Eirik replied. "Move here last week," Lukas added in broken English. There's a moment of silence. "All we need is Iceland and the Nordics will be complete!" Matthias exclaimed with a bright smile. Didn't take long for Eirik to find himself staring at Mikkel, not that the Dane has been paying attention. He's on his phone while eating.

Once again, Berwald's stomach growled. Didn't help that everyone else had their lunch. Something was passed to the Swede, who looked at it before looking at who gave it to him. It was Matthias's smørrebrød and the Dane's smiling at him. Matthias had said that he didn't want his friend going hungry, even if it entailed the same thing for himself. A slight smile crossed the Swede's face and he took the offered food. Both Timo and Lukas saw this and smiled at the transaction. Timo offered a couple of his cabbage rolls (kaalikääryleet) while Lukas offered him a krumkake. Oh, Chuck. They're too kind. Berwald gladly took what they offered him and started eating. Thanks to the kindness of his new friends, he was able to return to class with a full stomach and no more hungry grumbling.

When the school day was over, everyone gathered their things so they could go home. Some kids took the bus, like Lukas and Eirik, some were picked up by their parents, like Timo and Inka, and others had their own means of getting home. Since Matthias and Mikkel's mother is a teacher, she would often stay late, like today. Meaning the Danish twins had to walk home. Luckily, she said they could spend time with Berwald, who had to wait at the middle school for his younger brother to get out. Once there (it wasn't that far a distance), they had to find room 111 in the 6th grade pod, as they'd been informed that's Beck's last class of the day.

"It's this way!" Matthias exclaimed and led the way. Good thing he remembered where it was. As they approached the room, they noticed the door was partially open and there was laughter coming from it, as well as multiple voices speaking. One in particular rang out to Berwald, as he recognized the Swedish that one was speaking. "Why don't you just speak English, you red eyed freak?" Some kid asked. Both Matthias and Mikkel look at each other as Berwald became curious. Aqua eyes peered through the crack in the door to see a certain red eyed ginger trapped in a corner. "Oh, that's right! You can't!" Right as the kid raised a hand to harm the other, the door was slammed open to reveal a pissed off Berwald. A blue aura surrounded the Swede and multiple eyes look at him.

"Storebror!" Beck exclaimed and wrenched himself free from the bully, running to the blond. " ** _ **Leave**_**. **_**Him**_**. **_**Alone**_** ," Berwald said in what English he knew, making sure to emphasize the words he spoke. Who knew Berwald could be so scary when mad. The bully and his cronies nodded and it looked like one of them had wet themselves. Now that that's settled, Berwald turned his attention to Beck and hugged the boy hugging him. "Tack, storebror," Beck said with a smile that could brighten anyone's day. The aura surrounding Berwald dissipated and he held Beck closer. Neither seemed to notice the two wide eyed Danish twins, or their younger twin sisters that were also staring.

Timo and Inka were smiling and laughing as they entered their house. "Isä, äiti, we're home," Timo called out as the duo kicked off their shoes. "Welcome Home you two," Kaarina said as she walked to greet them, Leevi and Maija still a bit sleepy in her arms. "Did they just wake up?" Inka asked as Timo reached to take Leevi from her, who didn't say anything when he was taken from his mother's arms. "Yeah," Kaarina said, "So they're still a little sleepy." Leevi rested his head against Timo's shoulder, red eyes looking up at his big brother. "Iso veli," the three year old said. They hadn't really spoken much, so to hear him say this was a surprise and brought a smile to Timo's face. "Moikka, Leevi," Timo said to the child. "Want a snack?" A nod from Leevi and Timo carried him into the kitchen, followed by his mom and sisters.

Just as he'd picked out a snack for the two children, his phone went off with an incoming text. Passing the two packages to Inka, Timo pulled out his phone to see Matthias texting him.

Timo then shut off his phone after texting back and looked at Leevi to see him eating his snack. Same goes for Maija. The Finnish teen then got a snack for him and Inka, heading to the kitchen table with them. He passed one to Inka before sitting down with Leevi on his lap. It was here that Timo shrugged his backpack off and opened the package.

"Who was texting?" Inka asked. "Matthias," Timo replied. "He told me of what happened when he went to the middle school with Berwald and Mikkel." Before she could even ask about it, Timo unlocked his phone and showed her what was said. She placed her head in a hand. "Jeez. This is why I hate bullies." Timo nodded in response.

"Did you two make any new friends?" Kaarina asked the twins, drawing their attention away from their topic at hand. She didn't like this kind of talk. "Yeah, a couple of guys who recently moved here from different countries," Timo responded with a smile, looking at their mother. "One's from Sweden named Berwald. He moved here a couple months ago, so he's still learning English. Then there's a set of twins from Norway named Lukas and Eirik. Apparently they moved here last week, so their English isn't that good yet." Inka nodded. "Berwald's in our culinary class, coincidentally," she added. "He forgot his lunch today, so Matthias, Lukas, and Timo offered him some of theirs." Kaarina smiled brightly at that. "That's nice of them." Timo's smile widened at that.


	2. Secrets

It'd been a couple months since the start of the school year and since Berwald scared those bullies into leaving Beck alone. Now, the red eyed Swede's class knows the blond as that high schooler with the scary face. At this point, Berwald's gotten used to it. Even other high schoolers called him that. Well, with the exception of Danish twins Matthias and Mikkel and Norwegian twins Lukas and Eirik. Since then, the Swede's English has gotten better, as has the Bakke twins'. Now the two Norwegians can carry out full sentences, though there are still some mistakes.

 

Currently, Berwald is at Lukas's house. Matthias, Mikkel, and Timo are here as well. Berwald had actually just arrived when the door was opened by the younger Norwegian twin. A bright smile crossed his face when he saw the blond. "Hei, Berwald," Eirik greeted. "Eirik," Berwald said in response. The purple eyed Norwegian let the Swede in, closing the door behind him. Once that happened, he led the other to where everyone was, the living room. It was noted that there was more than the expected six people. No, it's more like twelve now that the Swede's here. "Berwald's here," Eirik informed. "There's the Swede we were waiting for!" Matthias exclaimed. "Apparently Eirik and Lukas have more siblings than just each other," Mikkel said. To be fair, so does him and Matthias, as well as Timo and his sister Inka. Speaking of, why isn't Inka here with them? Probably same reason as Beck. Homework and babysitting.

 

Berwald took a seat next to the Finn. As if on cue, Timo scooted away a bit. That... confused Berwald. Timo knew he wasn't going to harm the other, so why scoot away? He wasn't going to say anything on the matter, though. Doesn't typically like talking much, seeing as how his voice is one thing he's insecure about. Won't stop everyone else from talking.

 

As it turns out, everyone that lives in the house excluding Lukas and Eirik's parents were twins in some way. Next in line after them was two female that looked a lot like them. Bente is the purple eyed blonde while Ingrid is the purple eyed one with orangish brown hair. Odd, both her and Eirik have matching burn marks on their left cheek. What happened there? Both are 12 years of age, two years younger than Lukas and Eirik. After those two are Emil Kallisson and Emilía Kallidóttir, both with blond/e hair and purple eyes. They're only 6 years old. (As it turns out, Mr. Bakke divorced their mother, leaving her to marry an Icelandic years later. Mr. Kalli Stefánsson). Lastly, there's Tómas Kallisson and Valdís Kallidóttir. These two have red eyes and brown hair. Not to mention, they're three years old. The four youngest grew up with Icelandic as their mother tongue and the two oldest are learning Norwegian as a second language. Tómas and Valdís still have a ways to go before they can learn another language. Helps that every single one of them understands English.

 

Needless to say, they were all surprised to learn that Berwald was the only one without a twin, but a three year younger brother that looks a lot like him and an infant sister with the same hair color as him. At least he has a brother and a sister, like everyone else. That way he's not a complete outcast in the family regard.

 

Around dinner time, Mrs. Lang (as she preferred to go by, seeing as she found it easier than her married name) let the children and teens eat in the living room, so long as they're careful not to spill anything. It was also around this time that Mr. Stefánsson decided to come in from work. Along with him came four little girls, two with a darker skin tone than everyone else. One has brown hair partially held back by a purple clip and brown eyes while the other has black hair partially held back by a purple clip and blue eyes. Their hair reaches their shoulders. The other two girls were of the same skin tone as everyone else. Their hair reaches mid neck and one's a blonde with blue eyes while the other's hair is auburn and her eyes are green.

 

"I'm home," he said. Mrs. Lang smiled and went to greet him when she stopped, seeing the girls. The blonde hugged his leg and partially hid behind him. "Kalli? What's with these girls?" She asked. "Well, I found two of them wandering around and couldn't leave them alone," he said. "They're orphans. Plus, I... Kind of have ties to the other two." Purple eyes of Mrs. Lang glare at Kalli. "What kind of ties?"

 

It was at this point that Lukas, Eirik, and Emil found themselves hiding behind a wall and listening in on the conversation. Kalli spoke up again, saying, "As in, their intended father was sterile, so I helped the couple have kids. Now their father is dead, so their mother asked me to raise them since she can't." "And you didn't think to tell me about these two before hand?" A sigh. "Kalli, it's hard enough raising eight kids on our own, especially when you're at work. Do we really need four more kids?" Three sets of purple eyes look at each other. He was bringing in four more kids? Another sigh, this time from Kalli. "I'm sorry, Rikke. What if they were put up for adoption?" "I think that would be the better option," Rikke said. "These two should at least see their four biological siblings before being put up," Kalli told. Rikke sighed again. "Fine."

 

Lukas, Eirik, and Emil ended up running back to the living room when they heard footsteps. The others gave them looks when they saw the expressions on the faces of the three. Before anyone could say anything, Kalli walked in with two four year old girls at his side. Eirik glanced at the two girls. Green eyes look at the younger twin. A slight smile crossed the girl's face.

 

"Pabbi," Emilía said and ran to Kalli, hugging him. Smiling, Kalli hugged back. "Hæ, stjörnuljós," he said to the girl. "Listen," he said and got to her level when they let go. "I brought a couple children for you and your siblings to meet before they get put up for adoption." Emilía nodded. Kalli looked to see there's only one child there. "Where'd the other one go?" Green eyes look up to see the little green eyed girl sitting on Eirik's lap. "Stóri bróðir," she said, clinging to the Norwegian that has his arms wrapped around her. A sigh escaped Kalli. "Well, it would seem Fura staked her claim in Eirik as her big brother." Tómas is now glaring at Fura. They didn't even know each other for very long and he's already protective of her, whereas he's known the brown haired Icelandic boy his whole life and never hugged him like that. "Can we still see them after they've been adopted?" Eirik asked. "That's something we'll have to ask their future parents," Kalli answered his youngest step-son's question. It's also quite obvious Eirik's become quite attached to Fura already. "So, yeah. That one's Fura. This one here," Kalli said and indicated the blonde, "Is Alda, Fura's older twin sister. They're Emil, Emilía, Tómas, and Valdís's half sisters." Multiple sets of eyes widen at that. Minus Lukas, Eirik, and Emil's of course. "Since we can barely take care of eight as it is, they will be put up for adoption, as will two orphan girls I found."

 

Later that evening, Eirik went with Kalli to the courtroom, since Fura refused to leave him alone. Turns out the brunette's name is Astra while her twin's name is Malene. They're also from Norway. Oslo, to be specific. Not to mention, two years older than Alda and Fura. At the courtroom, not once did Fura want to leave Eirik's arms. Not that he's complaining. Kalli explained the situation to the judge, Eirik not once mentioning how he'd initially been listening to the conversation between his mom and stepdad with his twin Lukas and half brother Emil. When it was over and the judge went to take Fura from Eirik, she screamed and kicked to try and stay with him. It broke the Norwegian's heart to see this, but he knew it wasn't meant to be.

 

"I'm sorry Fura," he said to the girl, placing a hand on her head when she was taken from him. "I wish you could stay, too, but things are difficult right now." Green eyes look up at the Norwegian. She didn't speak English, but she knew enough. She said something in Icelandic, but he didn't know the language so Kalli had to translate. Apparently she asked if he'd come see her every day. A smile crossed his face. "Of course I will. No matter what, you're my lillesøster. Nothing's going to take that away." That brought a smile to Fura's face. "Ég elska þig." Eirik didn't need a translator to know what that means. "Jeg elsker deg." He gave her a hug before walking out with his stepdad.

 

When they were back at home and Eirik was with the others, the Norwegian's smile was gone and he seemed less happy. Everyone noticed this and a sleepy Tómas and Valdís asked to be picked up. Without saying a word, Eirik picked up the two and held them close. It helped them fall asleep if someone was holding them and they usually chose who it would be. Normally it would be just Tómas wanting to be held by Eirik, who hadn't put much thought as to why he was also holding the child's twin as well. The Norwegian joined the others and rocked the two brown haired children to sleep.

 

Timo leaned over to Matthias and whispered, "I think Eirik wanted to spend more time with the girl." There was a nod from the Dane. It wasn't until Rikke tried taking the two sleeping three year olds from Eirik that he held them tighter, looking up at her with pleading purple eyes. He was silently asking for them to not be taken away. A sigh escaped the Norwegian woman as she found herself smiling. "Alright, you can hold them for a while longer. Just make sure to put them in their bed," she said, kissing the side of his head and ruffling his hair. Eirik hummed lightly, smiling slightly. As if on cue, Tómas snuggled into his beloved older brother. "Stóri bróðir," the child murmured in his sleep.

 

_Red eyes blink open, looking up to find purple ones staring down at him from behind glasses. The little one year old had destroyed Eirik’s favorite book, then proceeded to fall asleep on his bed. How did he manage to get there? “Stóri bróðir!” He exclaimed happily, reaching out to the elder Norwegian with a smile on his face. Eirik, however, continued to stare at the boy. Tómas’s arms slowly fell when he wasn’t picked up, his smile falling as well. He looked down as tears welled up in his eyes._

 

By the time morning came, Tómas found himself in bed, laying between two bodies and an arm over him. Red eyes look to see Valdís laying to one side, still sleeping, then to see Eirik on his other side, glasses off, cross hairpin out, and eyes closed. It was Eirik's arm he found that was draped over him and his twin. Smiling brightly, the three year old boy snuggled up to the older Norwegian.

 

Rikke had gone to the room the four Icelandic speaking children shared to see if the two youngest were awake only to find they aren't there. She then scampered to the room the four Norwegians share to see Eirik's arm curled around something. Curiously, she walked over to find Tómas and Valdís there, the boy snuggling his brother. A red eye looked up at her and she asked, "Is he warm?" Tómas nodded. Neither noticed purple eyes blink blearily awake as Rikke spoke again. "And is he cuddly?" Something moved against his chest. "Good, I'm glad he is." Wait... were they talking about him? Eirik's head shifted to see Tómas snuggled up to his chest. Rikke must've noticed this for she said, "Oh, Eirik's awake." "Stóri bróðir!" Tómas whisper-exclaimed, looking up at his brother with a bright smile. "Apparently Tómas finds you warm and cuddly," Rikke said to Eirik. "That would explain why he's pressed into my chest," Eirik said as Tómas proceeded to snuggle further into him.

 

_"What's one thing not many people know about you?" Matthias asked with a bright smile. Timo blinked. "Well, I do like baking," he said. "When I get into college, I'm going to take a baking class!" And now he's smiling brightly. "Good on you, Timo," Matthias said, his smile still there._

 

Violet eyes of Timo blink awake. Where was he? All he could tell is that he's warm and snuggling something. There was a soft sound from somewhere near his head. Looking at what should be the ground, the Finnish teen found that his head is resting on someone's chest, his arm curled around the other. There's also an arm wrapped around his body. His eyes traveled up the frame to see a handsome face topped with messy blond hair. The other's glasses were nearby and his eyes are closed. Wait... did he seriously think that Berwald's got a handsome face? He's only known the Swede for a couple months! Why is he thinking such things?! Timo buried his blushing face into Berwald's chest.

 

_Berwald blinked when asked what he does in his free time. "You guys hear of PewDiePie?" He asked. "Who hasn't?!" Matthias asked. "He's only the best YouTuber ever!" The Swede gave them a look. "Wait, that's you?" Timo asked. A nod from Berwald. "You're PewDiePie?!" Matthias asked. Another nod. "That's so cool! I had no idea!" Matthias continued. "Do you know any other YouTubers in real life?" "Beck." "You're little brother?" Mikkel asked. Berwald nodded. "His YouTube isn't that different from mine. Other than gaming, he also uploads songs he sings. It's NordicBugaboo." Matthias nearly started laughing at the username._

 

Aqua eyes open slightly and look at the Finnish male, though he did seem blurry without his glasses on. From what Berwald could tell, the Finn's face is buried in his chest for some reason. Not like he's complaining.

 

_"Wait, so... your father died when you were younger?" Timo asked. Matthias and Mikkel nod. "He died protecting us from a bear," Matthias told. "Yeah, one that you riled up," Mikkel added. "It's your fault Hanne has the scratches on her arm." Blinking, Matthias looked at his twin. Even Timo was surprised at Mikkel's sudden outburst. Wasn't like him to suddenly become angry. "This is why you shouldn't poke a bear with a stick. You're such an idiot!" If this was their house, Mikkel would've stormed off, but he just sat there and pouted. That is, until Bente took him by the hand and guided him elsewhere._

 

Sapphire eyes of Matthias open to find he's pinned down by someone. Looking over, one of the first things he notices is messy pale yellow hair. Almost immediately, he knew who it was. Only one person has that hair color. His eyes traveled to their face to see an all too familiar diagonal scar on their left cheek. Yeah, this is definitely Mikkel snuggling him in his sleep. Not like he's complaining. Mikkel is a snuggler after all. The elder Dane curled his arms around his brother and held close. There was a soft sound from Mikkel as he snuggled closer to the warm body of his brother.

 

A faint rumble reached Matthias's ears, bringing a slight smile to his face. One hand shifted to rest on Mikkel's abdomen before giving it a couple pats. Typical Mikkel, always hungry. Yet he didn't wake, even as the rumbling of his stomach got louder.

 

_"How'd you and Ingrid get the burn marks on your faces?" Matthias asked the male Norwegian with glasses. Purple eyes blink and look at the Dane to find the blond looking at him. "House fire," the younger of the male twins said. Emil and Emilía look at him in surprise. They didn't know about any house fire. "It was before our half siblings were born, yet after our mom divorced." Oh. That would explain it. "Mamma was out with Lukas and Bente. Ingrid and I wanted to surprise them with something we made when they got home, but we ended up setting the kitchen on fire when it jumped out of the pan," Eirik explained. "I was the first to be struck by flames, then her. The fire department was called after we called mamma in a panic about what happened." "We had to be rushed to hospital for injuries," Ingrid added. "It was back in Norway and we were children."_

 

Lukas blinked awake when there was a particularly loud growl. Sitting up, he looked around to see that Berwald, Timo, and Matthias are awake. Seems Matthias is trapped by means of his twin still sleeping. Is that... does Matthias have a hand on Mikkel's abdomen? That would explain the growl that woke him up. He was just about to stand up when he noticed a pair of arms wrapped around his waist and a head resting on his chest. Looking down, he saw a mop of blond hair. Did Emil cuddle up to him while sleeping? How precious! Arms wrap around the preschooler that snuggled further into him. Aww, he's so cute! The sound of a camera shutter had the Norwegian looking up to see Kalli holding a camera that was lowered to reveal a smiling face.

 

"It's a cute moment, figured you'd want a picture," Kalli said. There was a nod from Lukas. "Thanks, Kalli." Kalli nodded. "By the way, is one of your friends hungry? His stomach's been growling nonstop." Lukas looked at Mikkel, then back at his stepfather. "Yeah, but he's asleep, so..." "In that case, I'll go make breakfast," Kalli said as he walked into the kitchen. Lukas nodded and looked back down at Emil. Honestly, Lukas couldn't get over how his blond half brother clung to him like a puppy.

 

Emil shifted in his sleep before the Norwegian found purple eyes looking up at him. A bright smile crossed the boy's face and he said, "God morgen, storebror!" Lukas couldn't help but smile at that, responding with the same thing, only saying lillebror at the end. "Far is making breakfast, want to see him?" Lukas asked. Emil nodded in response. At that, Lukas wrapped his arms around the boy and stood up with Emil in his arms. The duo then walked to the kitchen. Matthias watched them walk to the kitchen.

 

"Hey, Ber," Matthias said. "You should do a face reveal on your YouTube channel. People would flip out if they knew who's behind PewDiePie." Aqua eyes look at the Dane laying on the floor. "Yeah! We could help you!" Timo added. Ber's eyes softened at that. They were willing to help him with it? It would take a load off his shoulders.


	3. Vi är dom tuffaste

Eirik smiled brightly, having gotten back from spending time with Fura and her twin Alda at the orphanage. Oh, yeah. Twins Astra and Malene are there as well, so he'd also gotten to see them. As he walked in the door, he found Tómas running at him full speed. He'd been expecting this and picked up the boy when close enough, holding the Icelander in his arms as a head rested on his shoulder. The door was closed behind him and his shoes were kicked off.

"Mamma, I'm home," Eirik called out. He walked to the landing, where he almost ran into none other than Rikke, his mother. "Oh, hi Eirik," she said with a smile. "I was just coming to see you." A bright smile crossed Eirik's face. Tómas nestled into Eirik's hold. Said Norwegian held the boy close and rested his head on the younger's, his smile widening. This brought a smile to Tómas's face.

Berwald was in his room, listening to Nanne Grönvall while painting the wall his desk and dresser had been pressed against. Nanne is a famous singer from Sweden. The colors he's using to paint the wall? Blue and goldenrod. Why? Because he wanted to paint the Swedish flag as a reminder of where he's from. Kinda helps when his eyes and hair match. Though, his hair is a different shade of yellow and his eyes are a different shade of blue. Same difference. Beck walked in when he was finishing the cross. Red eyes look over what he has so far and smiles when he realizes what it is.

"You're painting Swedish flag?" Beck asked, looking up at the blond. There was a nod in response. "That's cool. Looks good, storebror." "Tack, lillebror," Berwald replied. "You're welcome!" Beck said with a wider smile.

Timo smiled as he and Inka walked through the mall, both of them having a great time. Their mom had dropped them off before taking Leevi and Maija to the park to go play. Luckily she'd given them enough money beforehand so they could get whatever they pleased. And also lunch money for if they got hungry. Neither of them noticed someone watching them.

"Oh, hey, you're Timo Väinämöinen, right?" Someone asked with a familiar Swedish accent. Violet eyes of the male look to see an older male with green eyes and orange hair. There was something oddly familiar about him, besides the accent. "Yeah, who are you?" He asked. Inka looked at him as well. A gentle smile crossed the other's features. "My name is Kent Oxenstierna. I'm Berwald's father." Oh, that would explain it! "Nice to meet you, Mr. O," Timo said, smiling again. "Likewise, Timo. My son's told me a bit about you and your twin sister. Inka, right?" Kent asked. There was a nod from the female. "That's me," she said, also smiling. When asked if he could join them, both Väinämöinen twins said he could. He wanted to get to know the boy that Berwald spoke highly of.

Matthias furrowed his brows in concentration, biting the eraser end of his pencil. Being head of the hockey team did have its perks and all, but within the past year or so, their numbers dwindled to where they didn't even have enough players to go out on the ice! Most either dropped it overall or they moved away, leaving them at a colossal disadvantage.

Matilde leaned over his shoulder to see what he was doing. When an idea popped in her head, she asked, "Why not just set up fliers?" Her speaking up made Matthias jump and nearly fall out of his chair. "Don't scare me like that, Matilde!" He exclaimed. "Sorry, storebror," she responded. "But seriously, though. Advertise tryouts for the hockey team at the ice rink." And with that, she walked out of his and Mikkel's room. Matthias sat there to think about her idea. Within moments, he was standing up and heading downstairs. "Mor, I need to make fliers!!!"

The following day was a Monday. Berwald walked into the school building to see Matthias and Mikkel taping a piece of paper to the wall between the bathrooms. Curious, the Swede walked over to the Winther twins and watched them. Sapphire eyes look at the Swede that joined them.

"Ah, Berwald! There you are!" Mikkel looked when he was done and Matthias had started talking. "Care to help us put up fliers for hockey tryouts?" Aqua eyes look at the flier on the wall to see that's indeed what they were advertising. Picking up on the confusion in the look the Swede gave him, Matthias said, "There was a massive drop in players within the past year. Don't have enough players to even get on the ice." "I'll help," Berwald said. Matthias smiled brightly. "So long as I get to tryout." "Deal!" The hyper Dane exclaimed, grabbing the Swede by the arm and dragging him off with Mikkel in tow.

Timo and Inka were the next ones to walk in the building. They had yet to notice what Berwald and the Winther twins are doing. Instead, they sat at their usual table and waited for their friends before classes started. Odd, normally they're here by now. Plus, Timo wanted to talk to Berwald about seeing his father when shopping the previous day.

Tryouts were held that weekend. Seems a lot of students wanted to join the hockey team. Berwald found he was the tallest out of everyone there. Sitting in a couple of the seats in the stands is his mother and younger brother. His father had to do something for work, so that would be why he's not here with them. Not to mention, looking after Beatrice. Amongst those in the contestants, there also happens to be a certain Norwegian male and Finnish female.

"Not only will we be seeing how well you are on ice, but you'll be going up against team captain to see if you can get the puck into the goal," Mikkel said. "Team captain would be my twin, Matthias." Said Dane smiled brightly and made the peace sign.

Edda's also sitting outside the rink, along with Matilde and Hanne. Near them is Timo, his mom Kaarina, and his younger siblings Leevi and Maija. A ways away is Rikke with Eirik and her four Icelandic children. Bente and Ingrid are with their friends, so that would explain them not being here.

"First up is Lukas Bakke," Mikkel said. The blond Norwegian stepped onto the ice and skated over to the sapphire eyed Dane. "Can't wait to see how high you set the standards," Matthias said with a smile. "Being the first one out here and all." "Shut up and give me a stick," Lukas said. The Norwegian took it from the Dane when it was held out to him. Both of them took their places and Mikkel joined them, puck in hand. "Kom igjen stóri bróðir!" A certain blond Icelandic child exclaimed, loud enough for Lukas to hear. The first half was in Norwegian, the second half in Icelandic. Emil really wanted his brother to do well. A smile crossed Lukas's face when he heard that. Good to know his brother was cheering for him.

"Next is Inka Väinämöinen." The Finnish female smiled brightly as she skated to the smiling blond. "Gotta say, you're the first female to try out for the hockey team since the school was built," he said as he handed her the hockey stick. "And I'm sure I won't be the last," she said as she took it. Both the Dane and the Finn took their positions. Mikkel joined the duo whilst carrying the puck.

"Last is Berwald Oxenstierna." Stepping onto the ice, the Swede skated to Matthias with his hands in his pockets. One was removed when a stick was handed to him, getting a hold of the object. "You ready for this, Ber?" Matthias asked. Berwald nodded and both took their positions. Mikkel skated to the center of the rink, puck in hand. No one else but Beck noticed when a certain Swedish female stood up, red eyes looking up at her. A slight smile crossed his face when she gave him a look. He knew what she was going to be doing and pulled his phone out in response to record a video. The purple eyed Dane threw the puck in the air when both captain and contestant were at the ready.

Faint music started playing in the background. It wasn't until one of them hit the puck after it hit the ice that a female voice rang out clear as day. _Från norr och till söder/Systrar och bröder_ It was Berwald and Beck's mother singing the Nanne song Vi är dom tuffaste. The smile on Berwald's face was faint as he heard his mother singing. Either way, he would've put up a fight. A fight that would last as long as the song. This was longer than the others and ended when Berwald managed to score a goal right as the song ended. Matthias smiled as he joined the Swede. The Dane placed a hand on the Swede's shoulder.

Edda walked over to where Beck and his mom were talking when tryouts were over with Matilde and Hanne in tow. Two sets of eyes look at the Danish trio. "Hej," she said with a smile. "You wouldn't happen to be Berwald's mother, would you?" There was a nod from the woman. "Britt-Louise Oxenstierna." A hand was placed on Beck's shoulder. "This is my other son, Beck." "Hej!" Beck greeted with a slight wave. "Oh, so this is the little Swede Matilde was telling me about for the past couple months." Beck blinked, then looked at the sapphire eyed girl that gave a slight wave. Britt-Louise gave the other a look. "She said that on the first day, he was being picked on for not speaking English properly. That is, until Berwald came in and scared them into leaving him alone," Edda explained.

"Beck never told me that," Britt-Louise said, gifting the red eyed redhead a look. His eyes were wide and there was a bead of sweat rolling down his face. She was worse than Berwald when mad, which was saying something because, even though he didn't show it that often, he was even more scary when someone pissed him off.

"So, what do we think of those that tried out?" Mikkel asked as he sat next to his twin, setting his mug of hot chocolate on the nearby table. "Some were good, others not so much," Matthias said. "I made a list of both." It was passed to the younger twin that took it and looked it over. He looked at the bad side first, agreeing with what Matthias had put. Three names stood out when he looked at the good side. Berwald Oxenstierna (his name had been highlighted in blue and had the word best written next to it), Inka Väinämöinen, and Lukas Bakke. Mikkel wasn't surprised to see their names on this side. He'd also noticed they seemed to fare better than the others. Especially Berwald. He pat Matthias's back a couple times before picking up the mug.

By the time Monday came, the Väinämöinen twins eagerly wanted to see if Inka had made it on. When they arrived at the school, it was at the same time as Berwald, which was a first. Normally the Swede arrived before the Finnish duo. When Timo saw the tall blond as he got out of the car, he called out, "Ber!" Aqua eyes look at the Finn running at him. Inka joined them shortly after. "Ready to find out if you and Inka made it on the team?" Timo asked. There was a nod from the Swede. With that, the trio walked into the school.

There was a piece of paper taped to the wall between the bathrooms that the three Nordic teens gravitated towards. It's the list of those that made it on the hockey team! The first name listed was none other than Berwald's, followed by Inka's and then Lukas's. All the other names were of students that they didn't really know. Or care to know. Without warning, there was an excited squeal. Berwald looked to see Inka with her hands balled up and by her face. She's excited about making it.

"I knew you guys would make it!" Timo said with a bright smile as he looked at the two. "You were right, iso veli," Inka said as she and Berwald looked at the other male. That smile... it's beautiful. Why is Berwald thinking that? He barely knows the other male. Besides, he wasn't going to say it out loud unless he's in a relationship. Pulling out his phone, Berwald texted his mom to tell her about what he found out.

"Who were you texting?" Inka asked when Berwald put his phone away. "Mamma," Berwald replied, "Was tellin' her about the result." "What's she say?" Timo asked. "Seems happy 'bout it," Berwald answered. Both Väinämöinen twins smile at that. "That's good," Inka said. A nod from Berwald.

As the trio made their way to their usual hangout table, they met up with the Bakke twins. Eirik smiled at the three, earning a smile from Timo and Inka. Lukas looked at Berwald, earning a nod in response at the unspoken question. A slight smile crossed the blond Norwegian's face. They made it on. Once they were at the destination, Matthias and Mikkel were already there and waiting. Mikkel was on his phone, as usual. Sapphire eyes look at the quintet and a smile crossed the Dane's face as they sat.

"Hej guys!" He greeted. "You see the results?" "Berwald told me," Lukas informed. There was a nod from Berwald. "Yeah," Timo said. "Can't believe they made it!" "They did put up a good fight," Mikkel said without looking up. Matthias nodded. "Especially Berwald. He's the only one that went that long. From what I've heard, no one else in the history of the school has gone that long." "Or has had someone in the crowd singing a song," Eirik added. "Yeah, who was that by the way?" Matthias asked and looked at the Swede. "Mamma," Berwald replied. "She was singing Nanne Grönvall's Vi är dom tuffaste. It's a Swedish ice hockey song." Ah, that makes sense. "Our first practice is next week Tuesday," Matthias informed. Multiple nods at that.

On the day of their first game, they found they were playing the Northwood Celestials. In the locker room, the members of the Hetalia Vikings were paying attention to their coach, Mr. Stalinsky. Most of them had yet to realize that there's a female on the team. Inka had her hair tied in a ponytail and a beanie on her head.

"Ok, so, it's been decided that our three forwards are going to be Matthias, Berwald, and Lukas. Our two defensemen are going to be Inka and Mikkel while our goaltender is Steven. Any ideas who the center should be?" He asked. A hand was raised. "Yes, Inka?" "I think the center should be Berwald. He seems to have more power than the rest of us. Lukas can be the left wing and Matthias the right wing." They seemed to think it over. "Yeah, I think that could work," Matthias said. "Then it's decided," Mr. Stalinsky said. "Now, let's go win our first game of the season." There were multiple nods and the team left the locker room.

The six designated skaters took to the ice after putting their helmets on. Berwald was front and center with Lukas at his left and Matthias at his right. Behind them was Inka and Mikkel. Then Steven was guarding the goal.

"After losing a bunch of teammates, the Vikings thought they weren't going to be able to play anymore. Now it seems they have the numbers they need to play," the announcer said. "And would you look at that, it would seem their team captain Matthias Winther is their right wing."

In the crowd is the families of the skaters, Lukas's having the most for the obvious reason. Eirik was smiling when he saw that his twin was on the ice. Emil was smiling as well. It made them happy knowing storebror got to play, like he'd been wanting to. They watched as the referee skated to the middle, both center skaters on either side of him. He threw the puck in the air and both centers got into stance, just as all four wingers did. As soon as it landed on the ice, the referee skated away and Berwald launched the puck towards the other team's side.

"And it's a direct hit from the Viking center Berwald Oxenstierna," the announcer said. Barely anyone seemed to notice Eirik standing up. Tómas being one of them. Curious red eyes look up at his Norwegian half brother. Before anything could be said or done, his voice rang out clear as day singing the Drillos song Alt for Norge.

Lukas paused a moment to look at his younger brother, smiling a bit. He then continued on playing. Even Emil and Emilía stood up to sing with Eirik. When it came to the English part, the two children went silent because they're still learning Norwegian. Instead, it was Rikke and Kalli that sang that part with Eirik. As the song was ending, Lukas managed to score the team's final goal that quarter of the game. A majority of the crowd cheered when that happened. Lukas skated to where Eirik and them are. Luckily, they're in the front row. Eirik smiled and placed his hands on the wall. Hands were placed on the other side, over Eirik's. This brought a wider and brighter smile to the orangish brown haired male. There was a nod from Lukas, whom then made a heart with his hands. He then pointed to his twin. This made Eirik's eyes widen and brought a look of surprise to his face. Lukas looked at Emil and did the same thing. Emil's now smiling brightly and hugging Eirik. Smiling slightly, Lukas joined the rest of his team on the bench.

"Who was singing?" Mr. Stalinsky asked once Lukas was with them. "My lillebror, Eirik, our half brother Emil, half sister Emilía, mother, and stepfather," Lukas said. "That's who I went to see after scoring the goal." "Berwald's mother did the same thing at tryouts," Matthias said, looking at the Swede. "But with a different song." A nod from the Swede. "Vi är dom tuffaste," Berwald said.

After the game was over and everyone was in the locker room, the door opened and a figure walked into the locker room. Purple eyes look around at the other players, searching for someone. When they spot a certain Norwegian taking his shirt off, they called out, "Storebror!" Lukas had just turned around when someone latched onto him. Looking at the other, Lukas saw their orangish brown hair, part of which was held back by a cross clip. There's also the unmistakable curl and the glasses. It's Eirik. "Hei, lillebror," Lukas said and wrapped his arms around his twin. "Jeg elsker deg," Eirik said. That had Lukas smiling slightly and holding Eirik tighter. "Jeg elsker deg, lillebror. Are mamma and the others waiting outside?" Lukas asked. There was a nod from Eirik. "Ok, let me get dressed and we can meet them out there." Another nod and the twins let go of each other.

What Lukas was wearing when he and Eirik walked out of the locker room was a blue sweatshirt with the Norwegian flag on the chest, black sweatpants, and blue converse. Once again, he was attacked by someone hugging him. This time, it was Emil hugging him. Smiling slightly, Lukas hugged back, holding the boy close.

"Did Storebror do good out there?" Eirik asked. Emil nodded and looked up at Lukas. "Ja." "I heard you and the others singing out there," Lukas said. "Takk for cheering me on." At that, Emil smiled.

Berwald'd changed back into what he'd been wearing. Black turtle neck, nice blue jacket, gray pants, and nice black shoes. The Swede walked out of the locker room and headed to where his family is. Kent placed a hand on Berwald's shoulder, smiling at the blond. Aqua eyes look at the ginger, a half smile crossing Berwald's face.

Inka was wearing white skinny jeans, a blue long-sleeved shirt, a white sweater vest, and blue high tops. Around her wrist is a bracelet with a locket on it containing a picture of her and Timo. Smiling, Inka walked to her family over by the doors leading to the ice rink. Timo smiled when he saw her and hugged his twin. She smiled more and hugged back.

Matthias is wearing a red sweater, blue jeans, and red boots. Mikkel, on the other hand, was wearing nothing but black. Black shirt for Danish band Nephew, black jacket, black skinny jeans, black shoes. When the duo walked out of the locker room, they met up with their mom and twin sisters over by the doors to the nearby school store. A smiling Matilde slunk her arms around Mikkel when she saw her purple eyed brother. Mikkel's eyes widened at the sudden hug, but gladly returned it, holding her close. Matthias held his arms out to Hanne, silently asking for a hug as well. Hanne shrugged, then walked to Matthias and hugged him, resting her head on his chest. Arms wrap around the youngest Dane.

Kent had invited the other Nordic kids and their families out to dinner. Edda was about to refuse when Mikkel's stomach rumbled. Purple eyes look at her, almost begging. It didn't help when Matthias joined in on the staring. It was thanks to this that Edda gave in and said yes. Rikke, however, declined while Kalli said he'd go. On the behalf of their kids, he took the boys while she took the girls. Kaarina and Niko said they'd go.

"There's 23 of us, and an infant," Kent said to the woman at the front desk. Beck stood next to his father and looked up at the ginger. "And what's your name?" The woman asked. "Kent Oxenstierna," replied the ginger. "Pappa," Beck said. Green eyes look at his son. "Ja?" "I love you," Beck said with a smile as he hugged his father. This had a look of surprise crossing Kent's face, but it soon morphed into a smile as he hugged Beck. "I love you, too," Kent said.

"You guys won your first game," Kaarina said, smiling at the five hockey players sitting together. "How do you feel about that?" "It's awesome!" Matthias exclaimed. "It was," Inka said with a smile. This earned a nod from Berwald, Lukas, and Mikkel. The younger Danish male had already started eating when they spoke of the win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBtA99vS2bk
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE9yPVo9oLA
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Cn8Gfiz90


	4. Talent Show

Inka smiled brightly when she saw the latest twitter post about the school's upcoming talent show. Getting out of bed, she rushed downstairs to show it to her twin brother. Violet eyes stare at the phone in the girl's hands, a bowl of cereal in one hand and a carton of milk in the other. She seems awfully excited about this. It wasn't for a couple weeks, anyway.

 

Groggy purple eyes of a certain Dane stare at his older twin. Mikkel's wearing nothing but a black tank top and red pajama pants. Not to mention, his hair's a mess. He hadn't fully comprehended what it was that Matthias had said.

 

"You did what, now?" Mikkel asked. "Told them you might be interested in the talent show," Matthias said with a bright smile. He's more of a morning person than Mikkel is and it's obvious. "Why?" Mikkel asked and rubbed an eye as he walked into the kitchen, plopping down at the table. "Well, because you need to get out more and be more independent," Matthias said. "One day I won't be there for you and you'll have to do things on your own." "No," Mikkel immediately responded. "I want to stay with you forever, storebror." Stubborn mule. A sigh escaped Matthias, whom then turned to Edda. "Hey, mor. Is breakfast almost ready?" He asked. She then placed a plate in front of each twin of something sweet and fluffy, covered in syrup. Pancakes. "Here you go, boys," she said. "Tack, mor," Mikkel said with a slight smile. "You're welcome, sweet pea," Edda said and smiled, ruffling Mikkel's already messy hair. Both of them got a kiss to the head before Edda went to take care of something else.

 

Lukas muttered something as he followed his twin Eirik downstairs. So not a morning person, as compared to Eirik. The only thing that could make it better is if he saw... oh, look, there's Emil and Emilía sitting at the kitchen table. As soon as the blond boy saw Lukas, he smiled brightly and reached for his brother. Walking over to the table, Lukas wrapped his arms around Emil and picked him up. Emil almost immediately nestled into Lukas's warmth. He's adorable.

 

Berwald sighed as he got in his dad's car. Kent usually started work around 8 in the morning and school started at 7:30, so that means he'd take Berwald to school. A smile crossed Kent's face as he watched his blond son get in the passenger seat. Once Berwald's seatbelt was on, Kent started up the car and started towards the school. Neither said anything during the whole ride there. That's usually the way it was.

 

With their father not being around and their mother being a teacher, that meant that Edda dropped Hanne and Matilde at their school pretty early and then took Matthias and Mikkel to school with her. This meant that they were also at school pretty early, but that's the way life is for the Winther family. Speaking of Matthias and Mikkel, once the duo had everything they needed for the first couple hours, they went to their usual spot to wait for the others to show up.

 

Even when getting on the bus, Lukas trailed after his twin Eirik. Why does school have to start so damn early? Purple eyes look back at the blond and a smile crossed the face of Eirik. He got a hold of Lukas's hand and pulled him onto the bus, pulling him to their designated seat in the middle of the bus. Lukas couldn't help but smile slightly at his brother's enthusiasm. As long as Eirik (and Emil, if he were being honest) was happy, then so was he. Eirik sat by the window and bounced slightly as Lukas sat next to him.

 

This time, it's Inka's turn to sit in the passenger seat while Timo sat in the backseat. It was normal for their father, Niko, to take them to school before he went to work. He smiled at the duo on the way to the school. They were talking about animals in their mother tongue and what kind of pet they'd want. Timo had admitted to wanting a small, fluffy dog. Hadn't decided on a name yet, but that's what he wants. Inka smiled brightly and looked at him, agreeing with what he said.

 

Berwald looked at Kent when they pulled up at the school. The ginger gave him a hug and said, "Have fun today, son." Smiling slightly, Berwald hugged back and said, "I will, pappa." Once they let go, Berwald got his backpack and got out of the car. He walked into school and found the Winther twins sitting at their usual table. Only Matthias looked at Berwald when he joined them. "Hej, Ber!" He exclaimed. "Hej," Berwald greeted. Mikkel didn't say anything. "The talent show's coming up in a couple weeks, you going to be ready for that?" Matthias asked. There was a shrug from the Swede. "Don't want to go alone." Sapphire eyes look at Mikkel and a smile crossed Matthias's face. "Mikkel~~"

 

Purple eyes look up from the phone. A sigh escaped Mikkel and he looked at his twin. Without warning, Matthias latched himself onto the younger and held him close while saying, "Please? Would you consider the talent show if you went with Berwald?" Again, Mikkel sighed. "Fine." This had Matthias smiling brighter and hugging tighter. "Yay! Takk lillebror!" Mikkel wrapped his arms around Matthias and rolled his eyes. "Only because you keep insisting." The trio was soon joined by Timo and Inka. "Wow, for once Mikkel isn't on his phone before school starts," Timo said with a smile as he sat next to Berwald. Mikkel muttered something in Danish, nuzzling into his twin. Smiling more, Matthias held Mikkel closer.

 

"Did you guys hear about the talent show?" The happy Dane asked. "Inka showed me a tweet about it at breakfast," Timo replied. Inka nodded at that. "Yeah, I did. We were both thinking of taking part in it." "Berwald said he wanted to," Matthias said. "And I got Mikkel to go with him." "I said I'd consider it," Mikkel corrected. "Ok, mind if we join you?" Timo asked and looked up at the Swede. "Ja, sure," Berwald said. Both Finnish twins smile. "Thanks, Ber!" A nod from the Swede.

 

Lukas huffed when the bus stopped at the school. He stood up and grabbed his backpack, Eirik following his motions. The two then pushed their way into the aisle and off the bus, making their way to the school. Once there, they found their way to their friends and sat with them. Matthias, Inka, and Timo smiled when they saw the Norwegians. Only Eirik smiled back.

 

"What're we going to be doing for the talent show?" Eirik asked with a smile. "Dancing," Both Mikkel and Berwald say at the same time. This resulted in the two of them giving each other a look. "Well, looks like we agree on something," Mikkel said. Berwald nodded. "What song?" Timo asked. "I was thinking Happy Halloween," Mikkel said. "And I don't care that Halloween's already over. If not, we can use a different song." "Happy Halloween's fine," Eirik said. "We could always learn the other one just in case." There was nods in agreement. For the first time in forever, Mikkel smiled. Matthias took no time in getting a picture of this. It was rare for the younger Dane to smile, so each time he did was a treasure for his family. "Let's start practicing tomorrow, ok?" Mikkel asked. There was multiple nods at that.

 

Berwald, Eirik, Timo, and Inka all had showed up at the Winther house the following day for practice. Edda smiled when she saw the four. She turned and called out, "Mikkel, Matthias. Your friends are here." Matthias showed up out of nowhere with a bright smile on his face. "Hej guys!" The four were let in. Mikkel had trailed after his brother, food sticking out of his mouth. "Here for practice?" "Yeah," Timo said. "We can wait until Mikkel's done eating." He'd obviously noticed the food that the purple eyed Dane is eating. Sapphire eyes blink, then look to find Mikkel with a pastry in his mouth. He jumped a bit. "Oh! I didn't realize you were there, lillebror." Mikkel simply shrugged as he continued eating. At this point, everyone knew of Mikkel's sweet tooth and how he has the biggest out of anyone else they know. When he was done, they got to practicing.

 

It took the entire two weeks for them to learn the dance to Happy Halloween, as well as the other song that Mikkel had picked out for backup. There was one small part that both Eirik and Berwald would be doing differently than the others, but the rest was all the same. Now they're just waiting to be called to stage. Of course, Mikkel was still surprised that Matthias had roped him into doing this. During practice, there were times where Eirik found himself staring at Mikkel's behind whenever he turned. No one else seemed to notice this. As a result, he was a bit slower in learning the dance, but he did learn it.

 

On the day of the talent show, the five taking part in it were waiting for their turn. Eirik was nervously pacing, Mikkel was on his phone, Berwald was just waiting patiently, and Timo and Inka are talking to each other in Finnish. Inka's even got her hair held in a ponytail by a purple bow, which matches her shirt. Once it was their turn to go, the other four trailed after Mikkel and the five stood in a pentagram with Mikkel at the head.

 

"Well, if it isn't some of the Nordic students," one of the two judges, Mr. D, said. Everyone knew of the Nordic students, especially since most of them were twins, just like a set of Baltic twins. Other than them, there really wasn't more than one set of twins at one time in the history of the school. The Nordics and that set of Baltic twins proved that wrong. "What do you five plan on doing?" Mr. D asked. None of the five answered and the music for Happy Halloween started playing. The five then started dancing. If they looked closely, they could see Eirik glancing at Mikkel's ass whenever he got the chance. In the audience chairs is Lukas and Mikkel. They wanted to see their little brothers perform.

 

When everything was said and done, the finalists were called onto stage. The Nordic quintet, some girl named Kelsey, some guy named Nick, and some sister duo by the names of Natalia and Alyssa. Natalie's older by two years. They were asked about their performances and such. When it came to the Nordic students, one of the questions that was asked was, "Who coordinated the dance?" Four sets of eyes look at Mikkel. They didn't need to say anything for the answer to be made clear as day. It was the younger Danish twin that had put it all together. "Any reason why you chose the song Happy Halloween?" Mr. D asked the Dane. "Because I like the song and thought it'd be interesting to dance to," Mikkel replied.

 

After much thought and consideration from Mr. D and the other judge, Nick ended up in third, Natalie and Alyssa ended up in second, and the 5 Nordic students ended up in first place. Matthias jumped up from his seat and cheered loudly when that was announced. Lukas simply clapped for the five. Both Timo and Inka were practically jumping for joy when they heard that, Eirik was smiling brightly, and both Berwald and Mikkel kept the same neutral expressions.

 

"Anything you want to say, since you won?" The other judge asked. They didn't get to say anything thanks to Mikkel's stomach rumbling. The Dane then proceeded to rub his stomach. "You hungry?" Mikkel nodded. "Ja, I'm hungry." As if on cue, his stomach rumbled again. "Really hungry." "Go get food, then."

 

"How'd you guys do?" Kaarina asked after Timo and Inka were home. "We won," Inka said with a smile. "Good job guys!" The elder Finnish woman congratulated. "Then Mikkel's stomach started rumbling," Timo added. Kaarina giggled a bit. "I swear, that boy is always hungry." Timo and Inka roll their eyes, but both are smiling.

 

"It's like your stomach doesn't care where you are or what you're doing," Matthias said. "It's going to cry out for food." Mikkel shrugged and continued eating his rødgrød med fløde. "If my stomach wants food, it's going to ask until it's delivered." When it was all gone, Mikkel went and washed his dishes. "Is your stomach happy?" Matthias asked. "Ja," Mikkel said and placed a hand on his abdomen. "Nice and full." "Let's go cuddle, then!" Matthias exclaimed. That had Mikkel perking up. Matthias took hold of Mikkel's wrist and dragged him to their room, where both twins climb onto Matthias's bed. Arms curl around the younger Dane as he snuggled up to his older twin. The elder laid back so both were laying comfortably on his bed.

 

"Did you win?" Beck asked with a bright smile on his face. Berwald nodded. This earned a happy sound from the younger Swede and he hugged his brother. Berwald hugged him back and held him close. Someone else joined the hug and Berwald looked to find it was their mom, Britt-Louise. He smiled slightly and placed an arm around her. She must've seen him say yes to Beck's question. Or she wanted a hug. "See that mamma," Beck said. "Storebror won." Britt-Louise nodded. "Ja, that's great."

 

Eirik smiled brightly as his mom handed him a gift. Rikke had admitted to the fact that Tómas had helped pick it out. Speaking of, Tómas is smiling up at Eirik. After opening it, Eirik stared at the object that was inside. It was a cross pin, like the one Lukas has, only black. The purple eyed brunet smiled more and clipped it on the same side Lukas has his pinned. The gift had earned Tómas a hug from Eirik.

**Author's Note:**

> watch?v=Ar0eKZLf-8A


End file.
